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KURT BUDKE Q&A -- In January of 2008, Jenni Carlson talked to the Oklahoma State coach about his trademarks -- the perfectly styled hair and the orange sports coat. Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna died Thursday with two others in a plane crash

KB: OK, well, everybody's trying to muss it up now. My wife sent that to everybody.

JC: But your hair is your style, your signature.

KB: I'm not going to change for anybody. It's easy for me.

JC: You're a dad with teenagers, and you still have all that hair. Play it up.

KB: At least I've got something to muss up, right?

JC: I hate to follow that with another fashion question, but fess up. The orange jacket — fashion statement, or fashion disaster?

KB: I loved it. I'm very proud of our colors, and I thought our fans would love it, and I think, for the most part, everybody did. It's kind of taken on a life of its own. People are giving me advice. ‘Wear it every game,' or, ‘Don't ever wear it again. Retire it.'

JC: Is it in a safe place now, under lock and key?

KB: I took it to the cleaners the other day, and the lady, she took it and said, ‘Is this the jacket?' I said, ‘Yep, this is the jacket. This is it.' You know, I was offered $5,000 for it right after the game.

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Jenni Carlson, a sports columnist at The Oklahoman since 1999, came by her love of sports honestly. She grew up in a sports-loving family in Kansas. Her dad coached baseball and did color commentary on the radio for the high school football...